Micronutrients & recovery
High consumption of total fruits and vegetables (specifically green leafy vegetables) is associated with a modest reduction in the risk of major chronic disease, primarily driven by a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, with no significant association observed for overall cancer incidence.
To support heart health, aim to increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables by about five servings, with a specific focus on green leafy vegetables (one extra serving daily). This habit is linked to a modest but real reduction in cardiovascular disease risk. However, do not rely on vegetables alone to prevent cancer; the evidence for cancer prevention from general fruit/vegetable intake is weak or non-existent in this study.
Increased fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with a modest although not statistically significant reduction in the development of major chronic disease. The benefits appeared to be primarily for cardiovascular disease and not for cancer.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohorts (NHS and HPFS), long follow-up (>10 years), and rigorous adjustment for confounders, though observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Risk of Major Chronic Disease
H.-C. Hung et al. · JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2004
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